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IO vs outboard

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Mark649

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Thinking about purchasing a new Bennington probably 25 ft. Can someone tell me the pros and cons of and I O vs an outboard

Thanks

Mark
 
I'm sure you'll get a much more thought out answer than mine but here goes.

In my experience, IOs produce more power but weigh significantly more. You also don't have to look at them when staring aft. I've never had good experiences with IOs, reliability wise. Then again, in two previous boats the IOS were 5+ yrs old when I acquired them.

OBs are lighter, easier to access & cheaper to maintain. I don't know first hand of Bennington's design but the IO pontoons/vhulls don't dare beach their boats on the island we frequent. Where OBs can be raised out of the water to avoid damaging or dragging a prop.
 
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My prior boat had an IO. I originally wanted an IO. However, after researching the topic and talking to people, including boat mechanics, I went with the OB. My main reason was because the floor plan I wanted was not available with the IO. I do not like loungers nor a deck with a step up for many reasons. Hence, the choice was already made as the OB was my only choice. Plus, the OB, as mentioned by spinzone, is lighter and easy to access and cheaper to work on. I also like the ability to tilt the motor all the way up for certain reasons.

You will need to determine what best fits your needs on all levels and then the choice of the type of motor may become clear. As I say in other area's, the mission will dictate the gear.

Cheers, Steve
 
Although Bennington makes a nice I/O, IMO pontoons in general are better suited for outboards.
 
I love my I/O.  It looks great, the swim platform is better and the sound of a V8 idling into the gas dock gets people attention and i have the stock exhausts.  It just sounds right.  You will spend more to winterize and it might shorten your season. The 7 year warranty takes care of the reliability issue.  It is really a personal choice unless you want maximum HP, then you would need Ecoman's setup.  The new O/B are great engines, the only problem is everyone has one. 
 
It's all personal preference, but having had both...if it makes sense, I prefer outboard power to I/O power. I do a lot of my own work on my boats. And I prefer to work on the engine standing beside it rather than standing on my head upside down as is required on an i/o. I haven't experienced any cost savings to parts for either. The i/o engines are all marinized, so the parts for cars don't cross over to the boats. And if the word "marine" is on the package anywhere, the price is double.

Now...if there were a direct drive option, that would be another story. Nothing better than direct drive if you ask me. 
 
I've only had I/O's and love both of them..........I've got the "little brother" compared to Ecoman's 430 HP and Remediation's 300 HP..............Our 220 HP is more than capable of doing anything we want..................I'm open to owning an O/B one day..................... If we ever get rid of this boat.
 
You asked for advise and you are getting it.  I agree with everybody else. My Cobalt had a 454 with thru-hull exhaust. I loved the sound of it and was stiff maker when you fired it up in the dock.  I got the 250 SHO on my toon. It's not loud but it looks bad ass and people on the dock are not used to seeing big HP on a pontoon so it catches some attention. I got the OB because I missed alot of nice early spring and late fall days on the water because the boat was winterized. Good Luck in making the decision.
 
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